1563. Foxe, Acts and Monuments [Cattley] [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 549. Amongst Romance words are . . . mummery, old stager . . .].
1748. Chesterfield, Letters, 20 Dec. Here let me, as an old stager on the theatre of the world, suggest one consideration to you.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas [Routledge], 69. She is an old stager, a veteran in the service of the apothecarie's wife.
1884. Field, 6 Dec. While Sabrina and Ripple, old stagers at the game, slid along the shore.
1897. Marshall, Pomes, 108. The same young lady, I will wager, But her escort's not the same; Methinks he is a younger stager.
Stagger, subs. (common).—In pl.
= a drunken fit.
See Stag, verb.
Staggerer, subs. (common).—Anything
overwhelming; a poser.
1889. Athenæum, 26 Oct., 560. This was a staggerer for Dive's literary 'gent,' and it took him nearly six weeks to get over it and frame a reply.
Staggering Bob, subs. phr. (common).—1.
A newly dropped calf
(Halliwell); and (2) meat
unfit for human food because the
knife has only anticipated death
from accident or disease; also
(Grose) Staggering Bob with
his yellow pumps.
Stag-mag, subs. phr. (theatrical).—A
stage manager. Also as
verb. = to stage manage.
Staines. At Staines, adv. phr.
(old).—See quot.
1785. Grose, Vulgar Tongue, s.v. Staines, a man who is in pecuniary distress is said to be at Staines, or at the Bush, alluding to the Bush Inn at that town.
Stairs. The stairs without a
landing, subs. phr. (thieves').—The
treadmill: see Everlasting
Staircase.
1884. Greenwood, Little Ragamuffins. He's lodging now at Coldbaths Fields—getting up the stairs without a landing.
Stake, subs. (old).—See quot.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Stake. A booty acquired by robbery . . .; and, if considerable, a prime stake, or a heavy stake. A person alluding to anything . . . comparatively . . . invaluable, would say, I consider it a stake . . . a valuable or acceptable acquisition of any kind is emphatically called a stake, meaning a great prize.
Verb. (American).—To provide for.
To lose the match and pocket the stakes, verb. phr. (venery).—To be got with child.
Stale, subs. (old).—1. A pretence,
a fraud, a theft. As verb. = to
deceive, to rob.
1033[?]. Kennett, MS. Lansd., f. 392. A stale or pretence, a fraud or deceit.
1340. Ayenbyte of Inwyt [E. E. T. S.], 9. Ine these heste is norbode roberie, thiefte, stale and gauel, and bargayn with othren.
2. (old).—Any object of contempt, deception, or ridicule. As verb. = to ridicule or abuse.
c. 1400. Chester Plays (Shakspeare Soc.), i. 173. So shall you meete with that stall, That woulde my kingdome clayme and call.
1593. Shakspeare, Tam. of Shrew, i. 1. I pray you, sir, is it your will To make a stale of me among these mates?
1620. Fletcher, Little French Lawyer, iii. Are we made stales to one another?
1633. Ford, Love's Sacrifices, ii. 1. A subject fit to be the stale of laughter.
1635. Rulten, Shepheard's Holy-*day, sig. G 1. Before I could get earnest of any ones love, To whom I made addresse, even she would say, You have another mistresse, go to her, I will not be her stale.
